Rabu, 06 Juli 2022

Live updates as firefighters rush to 'serious house fire' - Lincolnshire Live

Firefighters are currently in attendance at a 'serious house fire'. Residents near Treswell, Retford, are being urged to shut their windows and doors as crews from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue tackle the blaze alongside Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue.

The fire was first reported by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue early this afternoon. Little further information is currently known about the incident.

In a statement, the service said: "Crews, assisted by Lincs Fire and Rescue, are currently dealing with a serious house fire in Treswell, Retford. We ask people to avoid the area and close windows and doors if they see or smell smoke.

READ MORE: First monkeypox case confirmed in Lincolnshire

The fire, on Cocking Lane, has been described as "serious" by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue. Residents are being urged to keep their windows and doors shut, should the see or smell any smoke.

Little further information is currently known about this incident. We will continue to update on this via our live blog below.

This is a live event. Please check back regularly for further updates.

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A46 Lincoln Bypass crash involving cyclist left road closed for more than seven hours

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2022-07-06 11:43:27Z
1489093621

Danny Humble killing: Parents left 'destroyed' by loss - BBC

Danny HumbleFamily handout

The parents of a man who was kicked and stamped to death in a gang attack said their once fun-loving family has been "destroyed" by his murder.

Danny Humble, 35, was "swarmed" as he lay on the ground during an altercation in Cramlington, Northumberland, in May last year.

Alistair Dickson, 18, was convicted of his murder and four other teenagers of manslaughter.

Mr Humble's mother Deborah said her son's death had "destroyed us".

Deborah and Vaughan (right) Humble

"For me, he was my first born, my son, my friend a piece of my heart," she added.

His father Vaughan said: "We are a family incomplete, we are in the dark.

"One of the mainstays of our family and a guiding light has been cruelly snatched from us in dreadful circumstances from which we will never ever recover.

"He was one of the good guys, there is a void in our lives and an emptiness that continually aches and tortures us."

Ethan Scott, of Chester Grove, Blyth; Kyros Robinson, of Woodside Avenue, Seaton Delaval; Bailey Wilson, of Mitford Avenue, Blyth, who are all aged 18, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named, were all convicted of manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

Speaking after the hearing Mrs Humble said she got "no pleasure" from the convictions and would rather have her son back.

Alistair Dickson
Northumbria Police

However, she added: "That's not possible so these young people need to live with the consequences of their actions.

"We feel it sends the message out how their behaviour and how Danny suffered cannot be tolerated."

The court heard how Mr Humble and his partner, Adele Stubbs, had just enjoyed a meal and drinks after lockdown restrictions were eased when they came across the 17-year-old near an underpass.

The 17-year-old had joked about Mr Humble looking like one of the TV presenters Ant and Dec.

Kyros Robinson, Bailey Wilson and Ethan Scott
Northumbria Police

One of the stamps, inflicted by ex-junior soldier Dickson, fatally ruptured an artery in Mr Humble's neck.

Recalling the day of her son's death, his mother, said: "On 29 May 2021 my life turned black.

"Danny had dropped his children - then seven and five years old - off for a sleepover, he and his partner were going on their first date since lockdown restrictions had eased.

"Danny and the children were laughing, singing, and joking together. They were talking about the plans for the next week, half-term.

"He kissed and hugged us all and gave a wave and left, then jokingly came back for another wave and smile.

"Hours later police were at the door and my memory just turns to black after that."

She said Mr Humble's children were heartbroken.

She also said the family had to live with "dreadful images" of his last moments when he was "defenceless" before the attack.

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2022-07-06 10:21:18Z
1487002509

Selasa, 05 Juli 2022

Huge blow for Boris Johnson as two senior UK government ministers resign - CNN

London (CNN)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was dealt a huge blow on Tuesday when two of his top ministers announced their resignations, saying they could no longer work for a government mired in scandal.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid both announced they were quitting in letters posted to Twitter within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening.
"The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously," Sunak said in his resignation letter. "I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."
"In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different," Sunak added in the letter. "I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this."
Javid wrote that "it has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience." Javid added that the vote of confidence in the prime minister last month "was a moment for humility, grip and new direction."
"I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership -- and you have therefore lost my confidence too," Javid wrote.

Scandal after scandal

The most immediate controversy facing Johnson is Downing Street's handling of last week's resignation of deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, who stepped down from his post last Thursday amid allegations he had groped two guests at a private dinner the night before.
While he did not admit the allegations directly, Pincher said in a letter to Johnson that "last night I drank far too much" and "embarrassed myself and other people."
Downing Street has struggled to explain why Pincher was in government in the first place, amid a wave of revelations about his previous alleged conduct, denying Johnson knew anything specific about the allegations.
On Tuesday, it emerged that a complaint had been made against Pincher in the Foreign Office about three years ago and that Johnson was briefed on what happened.
Minutes before Sunak and Javid announced their resignations, Johnson acknowledged it "was a mistake" to appoint Pincher to his government.
"I got this complaint. It was something that was only raised with me very cursory, but I wish that we had acted on it and that he had not continued in government because he then went on, I'm afraid, to behave, as far as we can see -- according to the allegations that we have -- very, very badly," Johnson said in a broadcast interview.
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer said it was "clear" that the government was "collapsing."
"Tory cabinet ministers have known all along who this Prime Minister is. They have been his cheerleaders throughout this sorry saga. Backing him when he broke the law. Backing him when he lied repeatedly. Backing him when he mocked the sacrifices of the British people," the Labour Party leader said in a statement released after the two resignations.
For months Johnson has been facing a barrage of criticism over his conduct and that of his government, including illegal, lockdown-breaking parties thrown in his Downing Street offices for which he and others were fined.
Johnson has faced numerous other scandals that have hit his standing in the polls -- despite his 80-seat landslide victory just two-and-a-half years ago. These include accusations of using donor money inappropriately to pay for a refurbishment of his Downing Street home and whipping MPs to protect a colleague who had breached lobbying rules.
Last month, he survived a confidence vote, but the final count of his lawmakers who rebelled against him was higher than his supporters expected: 41% of his own parliamentary party refused to back him.
But while he managed to win the confidence vote, he suffered a further blow late last month when his party lost two parliamentary by-elections in a single night, raising new questions about his leadership.
According to an Ipsos UK survey conducted between 22-29th June, Johnson's Conservative Party is at its lowest level recorded in more than a decade when it comes to being seen as "fit to govern". Just 21% of respondents said it is fit to govern -- the lowest number for either the Conservatives or Labour since Ipsos started tracking this metric in 2011.
The chaos in Westminster had ripple effects in the financial markets, pushing the value of the British pound against the dollar to its lowest in more than two years.

More resignations

Downing Street did not hesitate filling the vacant roles. Nadhim Zahawi, who was previously the Secretary of State for Education, was appointed as the Chancellor, while Downing Street Chief of Staff Steve Barclay became the new Health Secretary on Tuesday evening.
Michelle Donelan replaced Zahawi as the Education Secretary.
Javid and Sunak were not the only ones to go on Tuesday. Shortly after the two quit their jobs, Conservative party vice chair Bim Afolami announced live on television that he too was resigning. During an interview with The News Desk's Tom Newton Dunn, Afolami said: "I just don't think the Prime Minister any longer has my support... the support of the party or indeed the country anymore."
Afolami called for Johnson to step down and then said he would also give his own resignation. "I think you have to resign because I can't serve under the Prime Minister."
Alex Chalk, who served as the UK Solicitor General, a ministerial role in the Attorney General's Office, also resigned on Tuesday, saying in his resignation letter that it was time "for fresh leadership."
"To be in government is to accept the duty to argue for difficult or even unpopular policy positions where that serves the broader national interest. But it cannot extend to defending the indefensible," Chalk said.
The Prime Minister's trade envoy to Morocco, Andrew Murrison, also resigned, blasting the "rolling chaos of the last six months" and saying that Boris Johnson's "position has become unrecoverable."
At least half a dozen other junior-ranking government officials also announced resignations later on Tuesday.

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2022-07-06 02:06:00Z
1492415847

Huge blow for Boris Johnson as two senior UK government ministers resign - CNN

London (CNN)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was dealt a huge blow on Tuesday when two of his top ministers announced their resignations, saying they could no longer work for a government mired in scandal.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid both announced they were quitting in letters posted to Twitter within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening.
"The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously," Sunak said in his resignation letter. "I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."
"In preparation for our proposed joint speech on the economy next week, it has become clear to me that our approaches are fundamentally too different," Sunak added in the letter. "I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this."
Javid wrote that "it has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience." Javid added that the vote of confidence in the prime minister last month "was a moment for humility, grip and new direction."
"I regret to say, however, that it is clear to me that this situation will not change under your leadership -- and you have therefore lost my confidence too," Javid wrote.

Scandal after scandal

The most immediate controversy facing Johnson is Downing Street's handling of last week's resignation of deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, who stepped down from his post last Thursday amid allegations he had groped two guests at a private dinner the night before.
While he did not admit the allegations directly, Pincher said in a letter to Johnson that "last night I drank far too much" and "embarrassed myself and other people."
Downing Street has struggled to explain why Pincher was in government in the first place, amid a wave of revelations about his previous alleged conduct, denying Johnson knew anything specific about the allegations.
On Tuesday, it emerged that a complaint had been made against Pincher in the Foreign Office about three years ago and that Johnson was briefed on what happened.
Minutes before Sunak and Javid announced their resignations, Johnson acknowledged it "was a mistake" to appoint Pincher to his government.
"I got this complaint. It was something that was only raised with me very cursory, but I wish that we had acted on it and that he had not continued in government because he then went on, I'm afraid, to behave, as far as we can see -- according to the allegations that we have -- very, very badly," Johnson said in a broadcast interview.
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer said it was "clear" that the government was "collapsing."
"Tory cabinet ministers have known all along who this Prime Minister is. They have been his cheerleaders throughout this sorry saga. Backing him when he broke the law. Backing him when he lied repeatedly. Backing him when he mocked the sacrifices of the British people," the Labour Party leader said in a statement released after the two resignations.
For months Johnson has been facing a barrage of criticism over his conduct and that of his government, including illegal, lockdown-breaking parties thrown in his Downing Street offices for which he and others were fined.
Johnson has faced numerous other scandals that have hit his standing in the polls -- despite his 80-seat landslide victory just two-and-a-half years ago. These include accusations of using donor money inappropriately to pay for a refurbishment of his Downing Street home and whipping MPs to protect a colleague who had breached lobbying rules.
Last month, he survived a confidence vote, but the final count of his lawmakers who rebelled against him was higher than his supporters expected: 41% of his own parliamentary party refused to back him.
But while he managed to win the confidence vote, he suffered a further blow late last month when his party lost two parliamentary by-elections in a single night, raising new questions about his leadership.
According to an Ipsos UK survey conducted between 22-29th June, Johnson's Conservative Party is at its lowest level recorded in more than a decade when it comes to being seen as "fit to govern". Just 21% of respondents said it is fit to govern -- the lowest number for either the Conservatives or Labour since Ipsos started tracking this metric in 2011.
The chaos in Westminster had ripple effects in the financial markets, pushing the value of the British pound against the dollar to its lowest in more than two years.

More resignations

Downing Street did not hesitate filling the vacant roles. Nadhim Zahawi, who was previously the Secretary of State for Education, was appointed as the Chancellor, while Downing Street Chief of Staff Steve Barclay became the new Health Secretary on Tuesday evening.
Michelle Donelan replaced Zahawi as the Education Secretary.
Javid and Sunak were not the only ones to go on Tuesday. Shortly after the two quit their jobs, Conservative party vice chair Bim Afolami announced live on television that he too was resigning. During an interview with The News Desk's Tom Newton Dunn, Afolami said: "I just don't think the Prime Minister any longer has my support... the support of the party or indeed the country anymore."
Afolami called for Johnson to step down and then said he would also give his own resignation. "I think you have to resign because I can't serve under the Prime Minister."
Alex Chalk, who served as the UK Solicitor General, a ministerial role in the Attorney General's Office, also resigned on Tuesday, saying in his resignation letter that it was time "for fresh leadership."
"To be in government is to accept the duty to argue for difficult or even unpopular policy positions where that serves the broader national interest. But it cannot extend to defending the indefensible," Chalk said.
The Prime Minister's trade envoy to Morocco, Andrew Murrison, also resigned, blasting the "rolling chaos of the last six months" and saying that Boris Johnson's "position has become unrecoverable."
At least half a dozen other junior-ranking government officials also announced resignations later on Tuesday.

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2022-07-05 23:18:00Z
1492415847

Boris Johnson told 'in person' of Chris Pincher allegation in 2019, claims former senior civil servant - Sky News

Boris Johnson was briefed "in person" about an allegation of inappropriate behaviour against disgraced MP Chris Pincher in 2019, a former senior civil servant has claimed.

Since the deputy chief whip resigned his post last week after allegations of groping two men, Number 10 has said the prime minister was not aware of specific allegations.

But Lord McDonald, who was the permanent secretary in the Foreign Office between 2015 and 2020, has written to parliament's standards commissioner saying Downing Street had made "inaccurate claims".

Politics Hub: Boris Johnson under mounting pressure for explanation

Tweeting the letter, he said: "This morning I have written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards - because No 10 keep changing their story and are still not telling the truth."

In the letter, he wrote: "The original No 10 line is not true and the modification is still not accurate. Mr Johnson was
briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation.

"There was a 'formal complaint'. Allegations were 'resolved' only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as 'unsubstantiated' is therefore wrong."

More on Chris Pincher

Mr Johnson led a cabinet meeting this morning, letting cameras in for his opening remarks - but not allowing any questions from journalists.

Surrounded by his serious-faced ministers, the PM spoke about the cost of living crisis and his plans to tackle it, but there was no mention of Mr Pincher or Lord McDonald's letter.

Tory MP and critic of the PM John Penrose called the letter "dynamite", tweeting it showed "another serious breach" of the ministerial code and that Mr Johnson's "promised reset" after Partygate had "no credibility because their behaviour hasn't changed at all".

Shortly before the letter was published, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News' Kay Burley that he knew about the allegation when he was foreign secretary in 2019.

He said he had "made it clear in no uncertain terms" to Mr Pincher that the behaviour "must never be repeated", and he referred it to both the civil service and Cabinet Office for investigation.

But Mr Raab said the inquiries did not "trigger disciplinary action", and he had only told the PM about the incident "in recent days".

The deputy PM also described Mr Pincher as "an exceptional minister" and said it was right to allow the independent investigation to make its own conclusions.

Full text of the letter

Five days after Mr Pincher's resignation as deputy chief whip, there remains significant confusion surrounding complaints about his behaviour prior to the drunkenness he admits at the Carlton Club on 29 June.

Inaccurate claims by 10 Downing Street continue to be repeated in the media. On 3 July, the BBC website reported: "No official complaints against [Mr Pincher] were ever made."

This is not true. In the summer of 2019, shortly after he was appointed minister of state at the Foreign Office, a group of officials complained to me about Mr Pincher's behaviour. I discussed the matter with the relevant official at the Cabinet Office. (In substance, the allegations were similar to those made about his behaviour at the Carlton Cub.) An investigation upheld the complaint; Mr Pincher apologised and promised not to repeat the inappropriate behaviour. There was no repetition at the FCO before he left seven months later.

The same BBC website report continued: "Downing Street has said Boris Johnson was not aware of any specific allegations when he appointed Mr Pincher deputy chief whip in February." By 4 July, the BBC website reflected a change in No 10's line: "The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Johnson knew of "allegations that were either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint", adding that 'it was deemed not appropriate to stop an appointment simply because of unsubstantiated allegations'."

The original No 10 line is not true and the modification is still not accurate. Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation. There was a "formal complaint". Allegations were "resolved" only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as "unsubstantiated" is therefore wrong.

I am aware that is unusual to write to you and simultaneously publicise the letter. I am conscious of the duty owed to the target of an investigation but I act out of of my duty towards the victims. Mr Pincher deceived me and others in 2019. He cannot be allowed to use the confidentiality of the process three years ago to pursue his predatory behaviour in other contexts.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was "now clear that the prime minister knew about the seriousness of these complaints but decided to promote this man to a senior position in government anyway", adding: "He refused to act and then lied about what he knew.

"Boris Johnson is dragging British democracy through the muck. His appalling judgement has made Westminster a less safe place to work."

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What Raab knew about Pincher

Mr Pincher resigned as the government's deputy chief whip on Thursday after allegations he drunkenly groped two men at a private members club in London earlier that week.

The party whip was only removed from him - leaving him sitting as an independent MP for his Tamworth constituency - on Friday afternoon after the PM bowed to pressure, and a formal complaint was made to parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

A number of ministers have since taken to the airwaves to reiterate Number 10's defence of Mr Johnson, including education minister Will Quince, who said he had been given "categorical assurance" the PM was not aware of any serious specific allegations.

But on Monday, Sky News revealed the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, also questioned Mr Pincher's suitability as a government whip as far back as 2017.

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Labour's shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, said Downing Street "tells us different things on different days... and as time goes on, the truth starts to come out".

She told Sky News that Mr Johnson had been "turning a blind eye to any allegations because it suited the prime minister to turn a blind eye to it", adding: "We need a country that is led by a decent, honourable person."

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, also said Lord McDonald had "shone a new light on this murky cover-up".

She added: "Boris Johnson needs to own up to his web of lies and finally come clean today. Every day this carries on our politics gets dragged further through the mud."

And the SNP's Brendan O'Hara called for an investigation into the PM, saying the letter "demolishes Boris Johnson's claims and raises serious questions over whether he has lied and broken the ministerial code".

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2022-07-05 10:18:45Z
1487432988

Climate protesters glue themselves to John Constable masterpiece - BBC

Just Stop oil protestPA Media

Climate protesters have attached their own "apocalyptic vision of the future" to a John Constable masterpiece in the National Gallery.

Two activists from Just Stop Oil (JSO) stepped over the rope barrier in front of the Hay Wain oil painting before attaching their own version.

Then they glued themselves to its frame, National Gallery (NG) said.

Art lovers, tourists and 11-year-old schoolchildren were among those ushered out of the room.

NG said police attended at about 14:25 BST and removed the protesters by 16:40. They were then arrested.

The painting was removed from the wall and examined by NG's conservation team who found it had minor damage to its frame and some "disruption to the surface of the varnish on the painting - both of which have now been successfully dealt with", NG added.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

The protesters, a man and a woman wearing white T-shirts with the slogan Just Stop Oil, each placed a hand on the frame of the painting and kneeled beneath it before loudly stating their concerns as visitors were directed out by security staff, NG said.

They were later named by JSO as music student Eben Lazarus, 22, and psychology student Hannah Hunt, 23, both of Brighton.

Painted in 1821, the Hay Wain shows a hay wagon travelling across fields in the Suffolk countryside. It is one of the most popular paintings in the National Gallery.

JSO said they had attached an "apocalyptic vision of the future" that depicts "the climate collapse and what it will do to this landscape".

Two protesters attach their own version of the painting
PA Media
Protesters
PA Media

'Road to disaster'

The colour printout shows double yellow lines and pollution.

Mr Lazarus, who described himself as an art lover, said: "Art is important, it should be held for future generations to see, but when there is no food what use is art?

"When there is no water, what use is art? When billions of people are in pain and suffering, what use then is art?

"We have stuck a reimagined version of the Hay Wain that demonstrates our road to disaster."

The painting will be rehung in Room 34 ready for when the National Gallery opens on Tuesday.

National Gallery
PA Media

Earlier this week JSO allegedly targeted a Scottish art gallery and stormed Sunday's British Grand Prix.

A 19th-century landscape by Horatio McCulloch called My Heart's In The Highlands was the target of five JSO members, who are also alleged to have sprayed the group's logo on the walls and floor of Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

And a track invasion during the opening lap of the race at Silverstone saw five men, aged between 21 and 46, and two women, 20 and 44, arrested.

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2022-07-05 05:52:36Z
CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay1lbmdsYW5kLWxvbmRvbi02MjAzODYxNdIBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay1lbmdsYW5kLWxvbmRvbi02MjAzODYxNS5hbXA

Boris Johnson told 'in person' of Chris Pincher allegation in 2019, claims former senior civil servant - Sky News

Boris Johnson was briefed "in person" about an allegation of inappropriate behaviour against disgraced MP Chris Pincher in 2019, a former senior civil servant has claimed.

Since the deputy chief whip resigned his post last week after allegations of groping two men, Number 10 has said the prime minister was not aware of specific allegations.

But Lord McDonald, who was the permanent secretary in the Foreign Office between 2015 and 2020, has written to parliament's standards commissioner saying Downing Street had made "inaccurate claims".

Politics Hub: Boris Johnson under mounting pressure for explanation

Tweeting the letter, he said: "This morning I have written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards - because No 10 keep changing their story and are still not telling the truth."

In the letter, he wrote: "The original No 10 line is not true and the modification is still not accurate. Mr Johnson was
briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation.

"There was a 'formal complaint'. Allegations were 'resolved' only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as 'unsubstantiated' is therefore wrong."

More on Chris Pincher

Mr Johnson led a cabinet meeting this morning, letting cameras in for his opening remarks - but not allowing any questions from journalists.

Surrounded by his serious-faced ministers, the PM spoke about the cost of living crisis and his plans to tackle it, but there was no mention of Mr Pincher or Lord McDonald's letter.

Shortly before the letter was published, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News' Kay Burley that he knew about the allegation when he was foreign secretary in 2019.

He said he had "made it clear in no uncertain terms" to Mr Pincher that the behaviour "must never be repeated", and he referred it to both the civil service and Cabinet Office for investigation.

Full text of the letter

Five days after Mr Pincher's resignation as deputy chief whip, there remains significant confusion surrounding complaints about his behaviour prior to the drunkenness he admits at the Carlton Club on 29 June.

Inaccurate claims by 10 Downing Street continue to be repeated in the media. On 3 July, the BBC website reported: "No official complaints against [Mr Pincher] were ever made."

This is not true. In the summer of 2019, shortly after he was appointed minister of state at the Foreign Office, a group of officials complained to me about Mr Pincher's behaviour. I discussed the matter with the relevant official at the Cabinet Office. (In substance, the allegations were similar to those made about his behaviour at the Carlton Cub.) An investigation upheld the complaint; Mr Pincher apologised and promised not to repeat the inappropriate behaviour. There was no repetition at the FCO before he left seven months later.

The same BBC website report continued: "Downing Street has said Boris Johnson was not aware of any specific allegations when he appointed Mr Pincher deputy chief whip in February." By 4 July, the BBC website reflected a change in No 10's line: "The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Johnson knew of "allegations that were either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint", adding that 'it was deemed not appropriate to stop an appointment simply because of unsubstantiated allegations'."

The original No 10 line is not true and the modification is still not accurate. Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation. There was a "formal complaint". Allegations were "resolved" only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as "unsubstantiated" is therefore wrong.

I am aware that is unusual to write to you and simultaneously publicise the letter. I am conscious of the duty owed to the target of an investigation but I act out of of my duty towards the victims. Mr Pincher deceived me and others in 2019. He cannot be allowed to use the confidentiality of the process three years ago to pursue his predatory behaviour in other contexts.

But Mr Raab said the inquiries did not "trigger disciplinary action", and he had only told the PM about the incident "in recent days".

The deputy PM also described Mr Pincher as "an exceptional minister" and said it was right to allow the independent investigation to make its own conclusions.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was "now clear that the prime minister knew about the seriousness of these complaints but decided to promote this man to a senior position in government anyway", adding: "He refused to act and then lied about what he knew.

"Boris Johnson is dragging British democracy through the muck. His appalling judgement has made Westminster a less safe place to work."

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What Raab knew about Pincher

Mr Pincher resigned as the government's deputy chief whip on Thursday after allegations he drunkenly groped two men at a private members club in London earlier that week.

The party whip was only removed from him - leaving him sitting as an independent MP for his Tamworth constituency - on Friday afternoon after the PM bowed to pressure, and a formal complaint was made to parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

A number of ministers have since taken to the airwaves to reiterate Number 10's defence of Mr Johnson, including education minister Will Quince, who said he had been given "categorical assurance" the PM was not aware of any serious specific allegations.

But on Monday, Sky News revealed the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, also questioned Mr Pincher's suitability as a government whip as far back as 2017.

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Labour's shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, said Downing Street "tells us different things on different days... and as time goes on, the truth starts to come out".

She told Sky News that Mr Johnson had been "turning a blind eye to any allegations because it suited the prime minister to turn a blind eye to it", adding: "We need a country that is led by a decent, honourable person."

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, also said Lord McDonald had "shone a new light on this murky cover-up".

She added: "Boris Johnson needs to own up to his web of lies and finally come clean today. Every day this carries on our politics gets dragged further through the mud."

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9ib3Jpcy1qb2huc29uLXRvbGQtaW4tcGVyc29uLW9mLWNocmlzLXBpbmNoZXItYWxsZWdhdGlvbi1pbi0yMDE5LWNsYWltcy1zZW5pb3ItY2l2aWwtc2VydmFudC0xMjY0NjAwMtIBhAFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvYm9yaXMtam9obnNvbi10b2xkLWluLXBlcnNvbi1vZi1jaHJpcy1waW5jaGVyLWFsbGVnYXRpb24taW4tMjAxOS1jbGFpbXMtc2VuaW9yLWNpdmlsLXNlcnZhbnQtMTI2NDYwMDI?oc=5

2022-07-05 08:37:30Z
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